Annie Mullens is the founder of WeePlan Baby Planners. She
is a premier, certified Baby Planner and an Independent Maternity and Child
Product Consultant. You can find out more about her and her and WeePlan Baby
Planners at weeplanbabyplanners.com. (FG)
One of Tori Spelling's nurseries, featuring the Bloom Alma Papa crib.
Preparing
for a new baby is both exciting and a little bit overwhelming. You get to
choose the baby’s name, register for all of the fun items your baby will need,
attend showers, and prepare
your home for the arrival of your little bundle of joy…all while battling strange
cravings and unsolicited advice from every stranger you encounter!
One
of the most fun, yet slightly daunting tasks, you will have is designing your
baby’s nursery. There are seemingly endless choices to
make and a limited amount of time to complete them…tick tock, tick tock…that
due date is looming. You may feel
your blood pressure rising just thinking about it. But don’t stress, it’s not good for you or the baby! Instead, follow these helpful tips to design the nursery of your and your
baby’s (sweet) dreams.
Start
out by deciding the theme of the nursery.
You can choose a theme that corresponds with the tastes of rest of
your house, matches your hobbies, highlights
a storybook character, letters or numbers, or idyllic scene. But one thing is for sure, it’s always
best to design a nursery
that can grow with your child. I
like to use fun wall
decals to add fun focal points on the walls (much less expensive and easier
to change later than a painted mural).
I
suggest choosing a neutral color for the basis of your room design and then adding
great accent colors to get the effect you want. This lets you incorporate the trendiest colors, while still getting
the most longevity out of your design.
So
what is the color of trend for 2013, you ask? Each year the Pantone Institute determines which color will
be hot for the upcoming year. Last
year’s Color of
the Year, “Tangerine Tango” is green with envy now that it’s been beaten out by
Pantone’s “Emerald” (a vivid, verdant green) for the trending color of
2013. Keep your eyes peeled for
companies using this color for everything from strollers to diaper pails!
I love this color. It
symbolizes life, nature, fertility, and well-being and is great for both boys
and girls rooms.
When
painting the nursery, I recommend that my clients use a low-odor, VOC-free
interior paint. It is always optimal
to finish all painting
and wallpapering at least eight weeks before baby is expected, and leave
windows open for aeration until the actual arrival. Airing out the room releases potentially harmful
fumes, but finishing them early should eliminate any risk to baby. (Note: As a Certified Greenproofer, I recommend that my clients
open all the products they purchase well in advance of the baby coming home for
this same reason.)
Once
you decide the theme and color, it’s time to start looking at furniture. Always start with the crib -- and start
early! It's the focus point of most nurseries and it’s a necessity
that you don’t want to gamble on ordering too late. You want to make sure to give yourself extra time for
delivery, backorders, potential damage from shipping, and other problems that
can set you back weeks. If you have
to return, replace, or find a new crib you'll want to have plenty of time to
get this done before your bundle of joy arrives.
When
choosing your crib, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, make sure that the crib you are using complies with the new
and improved Federal
safety standards implemented in June of
2011. If you are purchasing a new
crib, you don’t need to worry, but if you will be using an older crib, you’ll want
to check
for recalls to
make sure that it is safe.
In
addition, when buying your new crib, you’ll want to decide if you’d like to get
more mileage out of it by getting one with an optional conversion kit that allows for it to
transition to a toddler bed. I
love this option and routinely suggest that parents purchase this accessory at
the time that they order their crib.
That way you have it and don’t need to worry about it being discontinued
or a change in color options.
The bedding you choose for
your crib can be another highlight of your baby’s room. The
American Academy of Pediatrics has warned against the use of crib bumpers, stating that there’s no evidence that they
protect against injury, and they’re a suffocation risk. However, the Juvenile Product
Manufacturers Association says that traditional crib
bumpers, when used properly, can help prevent
limb entrapments and head injuries.
Many parents choose to skip the risk and invest in cute fitted sheets. There are many on that market now that even
imitate the look of bumpers.
See my
earlier Blog about how to choose a mattress.
Lastly,
when positioning the crib in the room, make sure that all cords from window
coverings, electronic devices, or other items are safely out of baby’s reach to
remove the risk of strangulation.
Often
times the crib you choose will have a matching changing table or dresser. A table may be less expensive in the
short term, but a dresser will have more longevity and has the added benefit of
more storage (and there’s never enough storage!). Remember to ALWAYS tether your dresser (and other heavy furniture) to the
wall in order to prevent tip-over injuries. Kiddos love to climb!
Annie continues Nursery Design 101 on Monday, December 17,
focusing on extra items to include for baby’s fun and entertainment. Stay
tuned!